Topic 3: Economic Development and Tourism

Scenario 3-1:

One sunny summer Saturday afternoon you are walking down German Street and you are stopped by a group of people visiting town from DC for the weekend. They ask about things to do in town during their visit. What would be the top three recommendations you would give them (assuming no special events were taking place). How well do you think the Town markets itself to tourists? Is it telling the right story to bring them here? Who is the typical tourist to Shepherdstown, and has that changed in recent years? Who should tourism marketing and promotions be aimed at, and where do they live?

Places to send tourists included:

Rumsey Monument

The Potomac river

The tobacco warehouse

Visitors center

Local restaurants

C&O Canal

Comments on marketing included:

A need to focus marketing on the downtown area

Focus marketing on free attractions

Highlight Civil War history

Publish local wayfinding maps with attractions

Market local restaurants

Other comments included:

Don’t want to be like Harpers Ferry

Provide better access between the town and the C&O towpath

Develop the “music scene”

Improve the boat ramp area

Improve the visitors center

Scenario 3-2:

A relocation consultant is visiting town this week to do research to advise their client on whether to move their small information technology services firm to Shepherdstown. The Town asks you to help make the pitch to the consultant about why they should choose Shepherdstown over other communities in the region. How would you make your pitch and what would be the top sell-ing point? Assuming that the consultant made their recommendation to their client to relocate to Shepherdstown, what would have been the deciding factors in that decision? Conversely, assuming that the consultant advised his client to instead choose Charles Town or Martinsburg, what would have made that a better option for their client?

Selling points of the town included:

High education levels

Easy access to major NE cities

Good support among small businesses

Low crime

Good community vibe – small town

Reasonably priced housing

Workers could live close to the office – short commutes

Good quality of life

Great place to live

Shepherd University

Any company coming would be a “big fish in a little pond”

Access to MARC

If another nearby community was chosen, reasons listed included:

Lower rents

Better access to the interstate

Offering a better economic incentive package

A critical deciding factor that was identified was the presence or absence of high speed telecomm infra-structure

Scenario 3-3:

Tired of long commutes to a suburban DC office park every day, you decide it’s time for a change of pace. A recent inheritance has given you the ability to make a change in your life, and you have always wanted to own a business in downtown Shepherdstown. While you are financially secure to take this on, you know it will have to be profitable within a year, or it is back to the long drives and the boring desk job. What type of business would you open? Who would be your target market? What impediments do you see that could stand in the way of your business succeeding? What could the town do to help ease the path to success and help you and your fellow business owners grow your businesses?

Potential business opportunities that were identified included:

Veterinary clinic

Brewery – associated with the river?

Anything offering staples – groceries etc.

Organic / specialty food stores

Local agriculture coop

Business to business support services

Antique stores

Art galleries

Ideal target markets identified included:

Students

Tourists

Young families

Potential impediments include:

High rents

Limited parking

Antiquated zoning

Limited market size

Ways the town could help pave a path to success included:

Working to lower rents

Promoting business through social media

Ensure that businesses have the flexibility need-ed to survive

Promote local festivals

Help to develop partnerships

Improve parking

Scenario 3-4:

You are standing behind the cash register at your downtown business when a tourist comes through the door frantically waving a dollar bill above her head. “Quick, I need change for the parking meter – I see them coming down the street right now!” she exclaims. Knowing the drill, you hand over 4 quarters and wish her luck, hoping that she and her friends will come back to buy something from you. Tired of constantly making change, and wondering once again if you’ve lost a sale because a meter was running short on time, you start thinking about parking management in Shepherdstown (for the third time this week). You decide to write down a plan to improve how on-street parking is managed? What are your top recommendations for the town to better manage its on- street parking? How will your ideas improve the visitor experience and create more economic opportunities? Assuming that Shepherd University builds a new parking deck close to downtown, how would that influence the parking situation, and your recommendations for parking management?